GREAT DAY!!!!!

Morning came about the same time as at TheHowserHouse, even tho this, too, is a HowserHouse. It is where I grew up and where my almost 93 year old mother resides........having lived here for over 50 years. We had a nice coffee and pecan roll......and the visiting continued into the middle of the morning. What a remarkable lady she is!!!!! Her mind is better and more clear than mine is.......or at least it certainly seems that way. Anyway......it was a very good morning with plenty of coffee and plenty of talk.

I left close to noon for Osage Beach....about 15 minutes away. Stopped at the new Target and the Pier 1 stores....looking at home decor and the availability of items that will fit in with our ideas and color thoughts for our remodeled rooms. Another quick stop at a couple of stores in the Outlet Mall and then it was off to a really good little bistro style cafe for lunch. "On the Rise" is where I had agreed to meet two very, very good friends who live here in the Lake area.

Mike and Merrie Williams met me after he finished interviewing prospective teachers for the Osage School District. The former band director here at Osage HS, Mike is now the Asst. Principal at the HS. Merrie is a National Certified Teacher and does an outstanding job of educating young students!! Mike was a former student of mine when I taught in the Eldon School District......YEARS ago. Yep......he is now in his middle age...believe it or not. I'm certain he doesn't WANT to believe it.....hahaha.

We had a wonderful lunch..... just great food at this cafe/restaurant!!!!!!! I had what is called a Crispy Crostini which is a very, very thin and crusty bread....more like a very thin pizza. It was layered with creamed spinach, carmelized onions, and portobello mushrooms........WOW....was this EVER GREAT!!!!!!! Can't wait to have this served to me again.....ummmmmm.

We sat, we ate, we talked, we laughed.......we enjoyed the lunch for over two hours!!! It is ALWAYS sooooo enjoyable to eat with good friends.....and to have that time to converse and catch up on each other's Lives and families. Time is way, way toooooooo short to not have these opportunities more frequently!!

Then after parting from such wonderful companions, I headed back to the Outlet Mall and some more shopping. Purchased some of that incredible jam/jelly that Harry and David's sells!!! It is always sooooo good and tasty!!! Actually bought 6 jars to return home with. Then......I broke my personal promise and bought two new shirts.....but, Hey....they were only $5 each!!!!!!!! Quite a sale at Haggar's clothing shop.

Then I stopped in at the Hy-Vee SuperMarket......what a great place. Purchased a couple of wines.....one for the 1st Lady and one for myself......needed a refill of my dark red medicine prescription. Got a GREAT deal.....picked up a bottle of Cabernet from S. America....Norton. However it was labeled slightly differently, but the sign under it said: $8.99. So, got to the check-out stand.....and it rang up at $22.00!!!!!! I told the clerk "NO!!!!" I would be divorced if I paid that much for my medications, so the clerk asked me to check the shelf.....and I had misread the yellow sale tag.....it was for the bottle underneath that shelf!!!!!! Hmmmmm........getting old, I guess. BUT........I guess my charm and personality helped as the clerk played around with the cash register/computer.....and sold it to me for $8.99!!!!!!!!!! Yep......I DID get a bargain.

Bought some pre-made Lasagna and took it back to the homestead and Mom and I had a great evening meal!!!!! It was very, very good!!!!!

Soooo.....it WAS a " Great Day"!!!!!!! And as always.....

Life is GREAT.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!! AND......thanks for lunch, Mike and Merrie!!!!!!